Lecture on Power Posing and Body Language

Introduction

• Speaker: Amy Cuddy
• Main Topic: Nonverbal communication and its impact on our lives.
• Thesis: Simple changes in body language can transform your life by affecting how others perceive you and how you perceive yourself.

Body Language Basics

• Nonverbals: Term used by social scientists for body language.
• Judgments: Nonverbals influence others' perceptions and can predict outcomes like hiring, dating, and elections.
  • Example: Nalini Ambady’s research on physician-patient interactions.
  • Example: Alex Todorov’s research on political candidates.
• Self-Influence: Our own body language affects our thoughts, feelings, and physiology.

Power Dynamics in Body Language

• Power Expressions: Expansive postures signal power and dominance. In contrast, closed postures indicate powerlessness.
  • Animal Kingdom: Expanding to show power is common.
  • Human Behaviors: Examples include the "pride" pose universally used by sighted and blind athletes.
• Gender and Participation: Women often use low-power poses, affecting participation in spaces like business schools.

Research Questions

• Main Inquiry: Can "faking" power through body language lead to real feelings of power?
• Key Concepts:
  • High-power poses increase testosterone (dominance hormone) and decrease cortisol (stress hormone).
  • Low-power poses decrease testosterone and increase cortisol.

Study and Experiments

• Methodology:
  • Participants held high-power or low-power poses for two minutes.
  • Measurements: Self-reported feelings of power, risk tolerance (gambling), and hormonal levels (testosterone and cortisol).

Key Findings

• Risk Tolerance: High-power posers showed greater willingness to gamble (86% vs. 60%).
• Hormonal Changes:
  • High-power poses increased testosterone by 20% and decreased cortisol by 25%.
  • Low-power poses resulted in opposite changes.
• Implications: Body language significantly affects personal feelings of power and confidence.

Applications of Power Posing

• Practical Use: Especially useful before evaluative situations like job interviews.
  • Advice: Pose for two minutes before stressful events to improve performance.
• Case Study: In a mock job interview, high-power posers were more positively evaluated.

Personal Story

• Cuddy’s Experience: Overcame a severe accident and feelings of inadequacy by "faking it till becoming it."
• Advice to Students: Encouraged a student to adopt power poses, leading to improved participation.

Conclusion

• Key Message: "Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes."
• Action Steps:
  • Practice power posing for two minutes in private to boost confidence.
  • Share this simple, accessible strategy with others, particularly those with fewer resources.
• Final Thought: Empower yourself and others through small, deliberate changes in posture.